Image Credit: Bring a Trailer.Plenty of enthusiasts buy a special car and promise themselves they'll keep the mileage low by only taking it out on sunny summer days. The original owner of this 1996 Chevrolet Impala SS appears to have taken that philosophy to an entirely different level.Thirty years after leaving the factory, the big Chevy's digital odometer shows just 143 miles. That's an average of fewer than five miles for every year it has existed.This isn't some stripped-down sedan that nobody wanted to drive, either. Under the hood sits GM's 5.7-liter LT1 V8, while the combination of rear-wheel drive, understated styling, and surprising performance helped turn this generation of Impala SS into a cult favorite.According to its Bring a Trailer listing, the black Impala remained registered with its original owner until 2024. It's now being offered by a dealer with a clean Illinois title and a Carfax report showing no accidents or other reported damage.It's Basically A 1996 Time CapsuleImage Credit: Bring a Trailer.Black was arguably the quintessential color for this generation of Impala SS, and this example pairs it with a gray leather interior. SS-specific touches include the single-bar grille, rear spoiler, quarter-panel badging, and dual turn-down exhaust outlets.It still rides on the model's distinctive polished 17-inch five-spoke alloy wheels, now wrapped in Hankook Ventus tires. Compared with the contemporary Caprice, the Impala SS also received heavy-duty dampers, 12.1-inch disc brakes, and a sport-tuned suspension that sat one inch lower.Inside are gray leather bucket seats with embroidered SS headrests, along with a center console and floor-mounted shifter. Air conditioning, cruise control, a CD stereo, and power windows, mirrors, and locks are also present.The 1996 model year brought another welcome change: an analog instrument cluster with a tachometer. Sitting within that cluster is the digital odometer displaying those almost unbelievable 143 miles.There's An LT1 Under The HoodImage Credit: Bring a Trailer.Chevrolet equipped the Impala SS with a 5.7-liter LT1 V8 featuring sequential fuel injection. In SS trim, it was factory-rated at 260 horsepower and 330 lb-ft of torque.Power reaches the rear wheels through a 4L60E four-speed automatic transmission and a limited-slip differential. It wasn't quite a Corvette drivetrain despite sharing the LT1 name, but putting a muscular V8 into a large rear-wheel-drive sedan gave the Impala plenty of character.Bring a Trailer notes that the fuel filter was replaced in June 2023. Beyond that, the listing doesn't suggest three decades of extensive use hiding behind the remarkably low odometer reading.Now Someone Else Gets A Chance To Own ItImage Credit: Bring a Trailer.The Impala SS is currently being auctioned on Bring a Trailer, where bidding has reached $39,000 with a couple of days remaining at the time of writing. With the auction still active, there's no telling where the final number will land.Low-mileage examples have long appealed to collectors, and finding one showing only 143 miles is unusual even by time-capsule standards. Its clean Carfax adds to the appeal, although that report's history should naturally be considered alongside the auction documentation and physical inspection.Whoever owned this Impala for most of its life clearly resisted the temptation to pile on the miles. The next owner will have to decide whether to preserve that astonishing number or finally let the LT1 do what Chevrolet installed it to do.If you want more stories like this, follow Guessing Headlights on Yahoo so you don't miss what's coming next.
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